Happy Monday #7

"For it is always wiser to consider not so much why a thing is not enjoyable, as why we ourselves do not enjoy it." — G.K. Chesterton

Tomorrow is the day!

I have the day off today to study and ... well I'm browsing the internet. I did some more review of Deferred Tax Assets and Deferred Tax Liabilities because my brain gets all tangled up with those two. Then I took a practice test on Gleim Chapter 11 (Payables and Taxes) which I was happy about how I did. 70%. But now, I'm in a dead zone. I checked Facebook, looked at Pinterest, and now I don't know what to do next?  Do I study my flash cards? Take more practice tests?  Read about Pensions?  I'm going to have a cup of coffee and hopefully that perks me up & gets me motivated to get back into it.  But its very hard when its like this outside.....

The first blossom on the cherry tree my parents gave us last summer. Maybe this year we'll get a cherry!! 

Happy Monday #6

"The pleasure of doing a thing in the same way at the same time every day, and savoring it, should be noted."
— Arnold Bennett

Anybody who knows me very long, will see that I am a creature of habit. I like operate on a schedule, I eat the same thing for lunch each day, I do the same things the same way, as much as possible. And...that makes me happy. 

Happy Monday #5

"Nothing can make our life, or the lives of other people, more beautiful than perpetual kindness."
— Leo Tolstoy

I totally agree with this quote. During February it was something that I really enjoyed & it not only helped others, but I found it helped me even more. And I think that helping others is a big part of why we are here.  I do know however, that I need to work on the perceptual part. 

Progress Update

Yikes it has been forever since I've updated! I guess working and studying and trying to keep up around the house will do that to you. I should probably recap with some updates on what I've been working on.  

• Happiness Project February:  I finished February with 14 days of doing random acts of kindness. So almost 1/2 of the days. Which I wish I could have done better, but I have to say I truly enjoyed it. And on Random Acts of Kindness Day I found a really inspirational blog at  http://www.366randomacts.org/.  He is doing a random act of kindness every day for the entire year. He has inspired me to try to keep it going. Even though I haven't been doing it every day, I want to do more.  So I am going to try keep that one going.  
• Happiness Project March: My goal for March was to be more focused, at both work and studying. At work there has been a lot of changes going on, and I have been getting more responsibilities on my plate.  I also just finished a review class, which was twice a week. And that brings me to my next update...
• CPA Exam: Less then 2 weeks until I take FAR for the 2nd time.  I feel like I'm more prepared this time, and between taking the review class and also going through the Gleim books again I feel like I'm catching stuff that I didn't quite last time. I'm hoping that the more I bombard my brain with this information, maybe a bit more will stick each time.  I'm still worried about a few things, so I'm going to spend these last few weeks focusing on Cash Flow Statement, Government Funds, Pensions, and Leases. Those were some of the areas I felt weak on the first time as well.  

So, for the next few weeks I probably won't have much for updates. And hopefully, after my test I'll be back feeling confident in how I did :)  Wish me luck!

Happy Monday #4

"Happiness belongs to those who are easily contented."
— Aristotle

Happy Monday #3

 "I have found that most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."
— Abraham Lincoln

I'm Getting Started

Up to this point, this blog has primarily focused on the "Happy" part of Happy Pink CPA. Well, today that changes.  

On Tuesday I begin my review class for the FAR section of the CPA Exam. So today I am starting my studying.  The review class I'm taking uses the Gleim books, which were what I was using on my own when I tried before.  My first jump back into studying I will be to read the first 4 chapters: Financial Reporting Environment, Financial Statements, Cash Flow, and Income Statement. Yikes. I guess we're not kidding around here. 

So here I go. I am really going to do it this time. I know its going to be hard, and I'm pretty much going to have to do nothing but work, study, sleep until May. But if I stick with it and really dedicate myself seriously, hopefully by May I will have passed FAR and BEC and be 1/2 way done.  The laundry is just going to have to wait. 

Happy Monday #2

"I have often regretted my speech, never my silence."
— Publilius Syrus

I chose today's Happy Monday quote to help me remember the third way I wanted to show love this February: If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. 

Happiness Guilt

I've been having a hard time week. 

Well, actually the first part of the week I was doing pretty good and on Wednesday I was thinking how lucky I really was. I have a great husband (really, just one of the best ever), an awesome family, we have a house that we love, we have a sweet little puppy to greet us everynight after work, and we both have good jobs. 

But then, I started thinking. Thinking of all of the hardships other people are dealing with, illness, legal problems, troubled relationships, and I started felt really guilty. Why should I have such a wonderful life, when other people, good people, are dealing with such tough times? I've just been feeling down the past couple days, and I can't really say 'oh its because I'm feeling bad for less fortunate people' because I don't know if I'm consciously thinking that. I've just been feeling sad & unmotivated & just want to curl up in my jammies in bed.  

I hope today that I can bring myself out of this funk. I want to keep working on this project & maybe that's exactly what my February project is all about. Maybe I need to show my gratefulness for all of the good in my life, by helping others that aren't having as good as time right now. I just need to figure out how. 

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.  1 Peter 4:10

Happy Monday

I have signed up to receive a quote on happiness each day, some of them I find over my head, but others are great little tidbits. I was thinking that each Monday I would like to share with you a happiness quote that I found meaningful or inspirational.  Spread the love, right? Today's message I particularly enjoyed and feel like it is a really good message for me to hear today, especially as I work on my February goal to show more love. 

"Associate with people who are likely to improve you."

— Seneca

HP February - More Love

"More love, I can hear our hearts cryin'
More love, I know that's all we need
More love, to flow in between us
To take us and hold us and lift us above
If there's ever an answer
It's more love"  - Dixie Chicks

Even though I haven't quite finished my January Happiness Project subject yet, its already time to think about February.  For the month of February I chose to focus on "More Love".  

Not only because it's the month of Valentine's Day, but I've also noticed lately that I'm well...I think I've been becoming a b*tch. It's not that I'm intending to, and I don't know why I'm getting so frustrated at other people. But what I do know, is that it is NOT me and I DO NOT like being like that.  So I think instead of focusing on when people do something that I don't like or that bothers me, I want to instead focus on how to give more love. Sometimes when I'm having a bad day a little love is all I need, and maybe that's what others need as well.  

In the Happiness Project book, she also focuses on Love in February. She focused mostly on love in her marriage.  Since my husband is the one I spend the most time with, I of course want to focus on him, but I don't want to show just him love. I mean, he is so awesome that makes him so easy to love.  So I also want to show love to my other family members, people at work, random people on the street, people that every day that I don't really think about showing love too. I came up with some ways that I want to show more love here in February: 

• Don't Nag - Oh this will be a big one for me, and I'm sure if you ask my husband he would agree especially in the morning when asking nagging him to take the dog out before he leaves for work. I know I could do it, but I'm lazy and don't like to go out in the cold.  Wonder how he likes it? I'm guessing just as much, and to add someone nagging him about it? Yuck. I sure wouldn't enjoy that! 
• Don't hold grudges - Even though it is hard, I would like to try to be more forgiving and let go of grudges.  It is doing me no good and it reminds me of the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant: Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times." Matthew 18:21-22  If that's good enough for the Lord, well then it is surely good enough for me. 
•  If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all - Isn't it interesting that these lessons we learn as children, somehow we forget when we are adults. Such an easy saying that we all know, but do we practice what we preach? I'll be the first to admit, that I am guilty. And I would like to change that.  

In order to track my progress and to keep myself accountable, I have decided that in addition to the things I want to work on I would also like to do one (or more) random act of kindness each day. And I will track it here on my blog, so check out my progress throughout the month over on the right side of the page.  I will try to update it at least once a week.  

My Own Happiness Project

I went to bed on New Years Eve at 8pm (yes, I actually go to bed that early).  I laid in bed thinking about the past year & thought about what I wanted out of 2012.  I'm not really into setting resolutions because I feel like resolutions are just setting yourself up.  As I thought, I grabbed my iPhone and searched two things "Find Purpose" and "Be Happy".  I didn't really find anything that grabbed me so I shut off my phone and went to sleep.  A couple days later, while browsing online I stumbled across The Happiness Project.  This was exactly what I was looking for on New Years Eve.  I just love how sometimes when you're not expecting it or looking for God gives you exactly what you need.  I wasn't looking to be giving a certain magic thing that would instantly made me happy, but a project that helps me to find happiness was exactly what I needed.  So I ordered the book. 

When started college I knew I wanted to be a business major, but wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do in the world of business...until I took my first Accounting class.  And I knew that was it - I was going to be an CPA (Certified Public Accountant).  So I graduated with my Accounting Degree and then got my Master's.  However I never got to taking the CPA Exam.  So about a year ago, I finally got the nerve to ask my boss what he thought about me taking the CPA Exam & he thought it was a great idea!  So I bought my first book and started to study and took my first test Business Environment & Concepts.  And failed...73. Ouch. After taking my exam, we had a lot going on at work, and I scheduled to retake BEC 2 times and rescheduled both times because I wasn't feeling prepared.  This summer I then decided to give Financial Accounting & Reporting a shot.  This time I even took a review class. Failed again...73. Double-ouch.  

So this brings me to this blog.  I wanted to have a place to for my Happiness Project and for my journey to be a CPA. So I started The Happy Pink Accountant. (Well..I had to get my favorite color in there too!).  I hope to use this space to help me keep to my study plans and pass the CPA as well as find my own Happiness Project (which I hope will contain some sewing and crafting as well) in 2012.  Feel free to join me & wish me luck!